Reviews are mixed on Barcelona

BARCELONA — The first Barcelona European Film Market closed Monday to mixed results.

There were echoes of its far larger namesake at the Berlin Film Festival: Theatrical distribs hunting largely in vain for new, hot and available Euro pics. But TV acquisition execs at the mart had it far better seeking programming especially for new niche digital TV channels.

Producers present in Barcelona, normally from smaller, startup outfits, claimed few concrete sales; yet most praised the market for its contacts mill and the angle it provided on their products’ international sales potential.

Backed principally by the European Commission and the Barcelona Town Hall, and organized by the Barcelona-based Jungla Foundation of Film & Art, the market attracted 53 buyers, some from top Euro players such as nets RAI, Arte, RTL 2 and BBC TV.

Half the 291 productions featured in the market’s catalog were shorts, a further 30% docus. With only 18 exhibitors hosting stands, 12 from Barcelona, the European Film Market certainly needs to grow.

Reviewing the first market, director Gilles Duffaut told Daily Variety that of its two wings — feature films and TV programming — next year’s event especially would seek to reinforce the first.